I am a Reader in Critical Care Medicine at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) and Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Following completion of my doctorate in 2016, I have developed a research focus on translational approaches to prevent and treat severe infection. To further my academic training, I spent two years (2019-2021) living and working at the Malawi-Liverpool Welcome Programme where my key focus was to build research capacity in Controlled Human Infection Model research.

 

During this period, I supported the institutional response to COVID-19, including the accelerated opening and clinical leadership of a contextually appropriate high dependency unit to care for hospitalised patients with severe COVID-19 disease. I also led a multidisciplinary team of immunologists, molecular microbiologists and clinicians to deliver the first detailed description of COVID-19 disease in a low-income, high HIV infection-prevalent sub-Saharan African population.

 

Now based in the UK, I work in the development of safe and relevant Controlled Human Infection models to better understand host-pathogen immune responses and infection transmission, and to accelerate the development of vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics.

Controlled human infection model (CHIM) research. Including Streptococcus pneumoniae, RSV and BCG (as surrogate of TB).

 

Multidisciplinary research to understand and improve outcomes for patients with multimorbidity in Malawi and Tanzania

 

Critical care capacity building research in LMIC settings

I am currently primary supervisor for three PhD students: Ibrahim Simiyu (Tanzania), Emma Carter (UK) and Oliver Hamilton (UK). I also support Georgia Hemingway (UK) as a secondary supervisor.

 

I have previously supervised six PhD students (three as primary supervisor) to completion: Dr Wanjiku Kagima (Kenya); Dr Brenda Mungai (Kenya); Dr Mohmad Alsabani (Saudi Arabia); Dr Tilly Fox (UK); Dr Stephen Spencer (UK); and Dr Sangwani Salimu (Malawi).

 

I also support the LSTM Diploma in Tropical Medicine & Hygiene course.